Airplane



Ap 1931- A. TUCKER ET AL AIRPLANE 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Filed Feb. 4, 1927 000 000 o 0 o o o 0 o o 0 o o 000 J MN m V 1 l N w w w m b N n April 14, 1931- A. TUCKER ET AL 2 AIRPLANE Filed Fe 4. 192 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR wow ,6172,

A TTORNE April 14, 1931.

A. TUCKER ET AL AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 11v VENTOR dim/1 JM/ 0 @ZMLAW A TTOANEY April 14, 1931.

A. TUCKER ET AL AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1 931 i 1 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE ALBERT TUCKER AND JAMES s. VAN AUSDAL, or iENSACOLA; FLORIDA AIRPLANE Application filed February 4, 1927. Serial No. 165,962.

Our invention relatesto airplanes. Figure 6 is a detail view of the control cam It is the object of. our invention to provide disk; means for controlling the equilateral equi- F igure 7 a section on the line 77 of librium of airplanes and it is our further Figure 5 looking in the direction of the ar- 5 ohject to provide means for further controlrows; 55

ling the landing speed and operation of the Figure 8 is a'section on the line 8-8 of airplane through landing. Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows In particular it is our object to provide showing the scoop closed; means for controlling the negatlve 11ft on the g 9 1S 3 366M011 011 the 11116 f 19 superior surface ot an airplane wlng and to fi l' ith the scoop 1n open positlon; 0

correct the lateral balance of an air- Figure 10 is a similar view with the scoop plane by controlling this negative lift, closed such as by breaking the suction through al- Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 4 lowing th 1 to nt th ing f th showing the modification or the shutter type der side, to collect theair to facilitate its on of $0001); e5

trance and to arrange for its exit through Figure 12 is a section similar to Figure 5 the upper side of the wing in order to control showing the shutter arrangement; I p

th u tion th reon, Figure 13 is a section on the line 13-13 of It is our object to eliminate all ailerons, Fig-12;

29 thus securing a reduction in cost of manufac- Figure 14 is a Section on the line 1 l14 To ture of an airplane, to eliminate resistance 0f g- 12; in banking and to provide means of so con- Flg le 15 1s a bottom plan view of the trolling our mechanism that the lift on the ppe '\ving; upper wings can be largely reduced during fl 16 5L sjictlon 3 11 to the 1 1 landing to prevent the plane from rolling-too In Figure 5 showing a modified form of v nt 7 farafter the ground it touched. V lv It is a further object of our invention to igure 17 is a Section on the line 17-1.7 provide means ofcontrolling a mechanism of Figure ltishowing the vent valve closed; for effecting the above objects which permits Fig r 1 1 11 imilar View showing the vent of movement in one direction for effecting the vfi 1 control of such mechanism and movement in Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 repthe other direction Without disturbing the ea a anc eq ppedwitha owcrwi s mechanism. a a 2 and an upper wing 3 connected together In the accompanying drawings: by the usual struts 4. The fuselage is sup Fi ure 1 is a side elevation of an airplane po ted y t ing; g y yp of 85 with our invention installed thereon, the pl Will e adapted for the reception of fuselage and struts being partially broken our invention and we have simply illustrated w to Show the general arrangement of a conventional form of airplane for the purthe Control; poses of 1llustrat10n. I a p p b h 53 gg j g l z 532 2 32 fi 6 and side sections 7 .i The ccnter section directly over the fuselage 1 is arranged to arrows; support internally of the wing section a conl' 4 5 F on h 11,119 iflqt t trol disk shown in detail in Figure 6. $5 lllgm'e 3 12 111 the lu'ectlon of the This control disk is designated 8 and is arrows; provided wlth an ear forming an attachment Figilre 5 is a SeCfiiOn 0n the ine Of 9 for engagement with the cable 10 and is Figure 3 looking in the direction of the aractuated by the control stick 11 in the fuserows; lage. 1:3

This cable may be actuated in any desired mechanical-way as by the pulleys 12 in the fuselage and in the upper central wing section.

The cam disk itself is of importance- It is provided with cam slots consisting of arcuate portions 13 and straight portions 1 1 located at an angle to the arcuate slot'13. This cam disk is pivoted in a portion of the frame work constituting the wing structure-of the center section as at15.

It will be apparent that any cam member movement in the cam slot 13 will not be affected materially until it enters the slot 14 other will remain in its stationary position which proceeds at an angle thereto towards the center of the disk;

Accordingly, we provide a depending cam finger 16 which is connected to a control rod 17 supportedin the brackets 18 in the center section of the wing and in brackets 19 sup-- because its pin is in the arcuate portion of the slot and there is no shifting of that'pin'relative to the center 20 of the cam disk 8. 7

'Each of the rods 17 is connected at 21 to a cable 22 passing around guide roller-s23;

Such cable is connected by a crank arm 24 to s a scoop 25. The bottom of said scoop forms} a portion of the lower wall of the wing structure. The open end of the scoop designated 26 is directed forwardly so thatthe air flow over the wing will pass into the scoop and into the interior of the wing; This air makes its exit through the top of the wing through theopenings designated 27 of which there may be any desired number depending upon the size of the scoop wing structure and other conditions of similar character.

Thus, by moving the stick 11 these clips can be opened alternately with the result that V the incoming air will serve to' breakthe vacuum on the upper wing surfaceor negative lift thereof, thus controlling the-equilateral equilibrium of the plane.

It is known that of the lift on-the surface of an airplane is produced by suction on the upper surface. The lateral balance of the plane is corrected by our mechanism by breaking this suction and by allowing the air a to enter the wing from the under sideby any desired means which wi l control the opening in the under side and permitting such air to make its exit through the upper side by any desired means. Obviously this control'may' also extend to the openings in the upper side walls to the openings in the lower side.

By such a method of lateral control we eliminate ailerons, reduce the cost of construction, eliminate resistance in banking and are enabled, as will be hereinafter pointed out, to reduce the landing speed or the extent of running after tlie plane touches the ground.

This latter object is accomplished by the following mechanism. Over the'pilots head is pivoted a lever designated 28 which is carried on a cross shaft 29 journaled in the brackets 18 and 19. This cross shaft carries a pitman 30 at either end which pitman is con-' n'ected to a scoop 31-so that by a movementof the lever 28 both scoopscan be opened'simultaneouslyefiectiiig the desiredresult of reducing the speed of the plane. We thus provide a means for the management of the plane in the air by alternate opening of the scoops and the management of the plane on the ground by the simultaneous opening of the scoops. 4 I

Referring to Figures 11, 12, 13. and 14 it will be seen that we have provided an alternative form of scoop mechanism. Instead of employing a scoop with a solid bottom, We

provide a plurality of slots 32 each of which.

is progressively larger than the preceding slot from the wing tip to the controlling edge. 1 These slots are connectedtogether by links 33, the lastlink being connected to the horn 34cthat is connected to th'ecable 22.

A similar arrangement-is made as in the preceding construction for opening aseries of slots 35 simultaneously on both sides on the under surface of the upper wing for the purpose of controlling the plane when on the round.

InFigures 1 5, 16, 17 and 18 we have provided another form which is advantageous in certain types 'of installations for =co'ntrol ling the entrance of air through the bottom wing surface of the top wing; k y f This consists of the lower wing having a plurality of. radially disposed. fan shaped slots or cutaway portions 36. Fan-like disks are provided on the interior of the plane, such disks" being designated 37. 'These disks are pivotally supported by a central shaft 38 having a collar, such shaft being. embraced by a fork40 carried on the rod 29. which is.

operated by the lever 28. The rotation of the fan shaped disks 37 for. the purpose of opening and closing the openings 36 .is effected by an eccentrically locatedpin 41 that is connected tothe shift rod 42 that has the usual depending. cam finger 16 operatingjn the grooves or slots in the canidisk 8;

Thus, the closure member 37 may be both,

rotated and elevated so that a single member may be utilized for the. dual purpose of con-. trolling the equilateral equilibrium in the air and the ground speed.

sconce-e It will be understood that We desire to comprehend within our invention such modiiications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and use Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination in an airplane of a supporting wing surface having passageways from the bottom through the top on either side of the center line of said airplane, means for opening and closing said passageways and means for controlling said opening and closing alternately and independent means for controlling the passage of air through said plane surface on both sides simultaneously.

2. In an airplane having a wing and a fuselage, a control means located in the fuselage, a cam disk located in the wing having spaced arcuate slots and communicating in wardly projecting straight slots, shifting means engaging said slots supported in said wing, means for controlling openings in the under side of the wing surface, said wing surface having openings also in the upper side thereof, and means connected with said shifting means for controlling the opening and closing of said openings in the lower surface of the wing, said openings being arranged on opposite sides of the center line of the wing, whereby when the control means moves in one direction one opening on one side of the under surface of the wing will be opened and the other on the other side will remain closed and the movement of the control means in the other direction will produce the opposite result.

3. In an airplane having a wing and a fuselage, a control means located in the fuselage, a cam disk located in the wing having spaced arcuate slots and communicating inwardly projecting straight slots, shifting means engaging said slots supported in said wing, means for controlling openings in the under side of the wing surface, said wing surface having openings also in the upper side thereof, and means connected with said shifting means for controlling the opening and closing of said openings in the lower surface of the wing, said openings being arranged on opposite sides of the center line of the wing, whereby when the control means moves in one direction one opening on one side of the under surface of the wing will he opened and the other 011 the other side will remain closed and the movement of the control means in the other direction will produce the opposite result, and means for controlling other openings in the under side of said wing surface consisting of a closure means on either side of the center line of the surface means for controlling the closure means extending to a point centrally of the wing anddownwardlyto a point adjacent tothe operator.

4. In combination in aplane having plane surface in a fuselage, a control means located in the fuselage, cables leading therefrom to the wing surface adapted to operate a rotating control disk having oppositely disposed arcuate and inwardly disposed straight slots, rods disposed in said plane surface laterally thereof in opposite directions having depending cam fingers engaging in said respective slots, means to support and guide said rods, cables connected to the respective ends of said rods, scoops adapted to close openings in the lower surface of said plane surface, said plane surface having upper openings adjacent thereto, said scoops being connected to said cables whereby when the control means in the fuselage will move in one direction one scoop will be opened and the other scoop will be opened on the other side.

5. In combination in a plane having a plane surface in a fuselage, a control means located in the fuselage, cables leading there from to the wing surface adapted to operate a rotating control disk having oppositely disposed arcuate and inwardly disposed straight slots, rods disposed in said plane surface laterally thereof in opposite'directions having depending cam fingers engaging in said respective slots, means to support and guide said rods, cables connected to the respective ends of said rods, scoops adapted to close openings in the lower surface of said plane surface, said plane surface having upper openings adjacent thereto, said scoops being connected to said cables whereby when the control means in the fuselage will move in one direction one scoop will be opened and the other scoop will be opened on the other side, a second rod system located in said plane surface, a control. means therefor extending to a point adjacent to the operator, anda second set of scoops located on either side of the plane surface adapted to close openings in the bottom wall thereof whereby the second set of scoops may be operated simultaneously independently of the first mentioned scoops which are alternately operated.

(5. In an airplane having a plane surface in the fuselage, said plane surface having openings in the lower side of the plane surface and in the upper side, closure means for the lower openings, disc means having a pair of arcuate slots, each terminatingin an an gularly arranged straight slot for controlling said closure means alternately, and means for operating said closure means simultaneously.

7. In an airplane, a main plane surface, means on each side of said main plane surface for controlling the passage of air through said surface including a scoop for each side, a disc memberadapted to be rotated to operate said scoops one scoop at a time, and a sec- 0nd means on each side of said main plane surface adapted to be simultaneously operated'to control the passage of air through the planesurface.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

' ALBERT TUCKER. JAMES S. VAN AUSDAL. 

